STUDIES ON A HYDROPHILIC CELLULOSE MATRIX DERIVED FROM IPOMOEA BATATAS TUBERS I: PROCESSING AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES

This work was designed to develop a hydrophilic cellulose matrix from the fibre contained in the tubers of Ipomoea batatas and to evaluate its excipient functionality. Starch was filtered from the slurry of milled tubers to obtain the fibre which was dried at 60 o C and pulverised. A 500 g of fibre was submerged in 3.50 % w/v of sodium hypochlorite and blended for 10 min. This was washed with distilled water to a neutral pH, then slurried in 96 % ethanol for 5 min, dried at 60 o C and reduced to 250 μm. The product was coded as I-hydrocel. Its organoleptic, pH, densities, flows, elemental content, moisture studies, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ash properties were evaluated. I-hydrocel was a tasteless, off-white, smooth, odourless powder, mean particle size, 10.65 ± 4.27 μm and insoluble in organic solvents but disperses and swells in water yielding a pH of 6.45± 0.12. Swelling, hydration and moisture adsorption capacities were high. Heavy metals like mercury, lead or vanadium was not detectable. The ash contents and extractives were within standard limits. Powder flow was fair and DSC thermogram shows a melting range of 80-85 o C. The SEM micrograph suggests a cellulosic morphology. Its ability to swell and hydrate fast in water indicates that it is a hydrophilic cellulose matrix that could serve as an alternative filler-disintegrant in solid dosage drug delivery.